A woman has been ordered to pay more than £650 after dumping sofas and a fridge-freezer in an alleyway.

Victoria Cox, 23, left the items in an alley off Boundary Road, Ramsgate, and was tracked down after council officers traced her name from rubbish found in the tip.

Thanet council was informed that items had been dumped in May last year but after Miss Cox failed to attend two hearings she was arrested and taken to court on June 3.

Head of operational services at TDC Geoff Dunne said: “By imposing these fines, we hope to encourage others to think twice before committing a similar act – it’s not something we can take lightly.

“We will continue to do everything we can to support our residents to keep Thanet a safe, clean and enjoyable place.”

Miss Cox was fined £165, clean-up and enforcement costs of £493.14 and a victim surcharge of £20 at Medway Magistrates’ Court.

The single mother-of-three said: "I was pregnant at the time the fly tipping was done, it was my ex-partner who did it.

"I handed myself in and pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity, but only to the knowledge that someone had fly tipped.

"The council sent me a pack of 52 pictures and only two of them had any evidence it was actually my stuff that had been dumped.

"I had arranged for someone to clear the rubbish from behind my house - which was only a few bags.

"I told the council this and told them I was waiting to get it cleared, the sofas and fridge-freezer were in the alleyway on the opposite side of the road to me.

"I have never even owned a fridge-freezer.

"I failed to turn up to the original court date but on the second one I needed to arrange child care because I didn't want to take my children to court.

"The court told me I had to email the clerk to arrange a different date which I did either on the day or the day before my hearing, but I didn't get a reply."

If you witness anyone fly tipping call 01843 577000.